Results for thumb piano

Some interesting things I bookmarked on del.icio.us on February 12th, 2008:

• Piniature Kalimba – Needle tines on a small chip of chrome plastic from a car accident. Approaching the smallest playable with the fingers thumb piano.

yapruder (RP Collier) says it makes sound but is very difficult to hold.

• (Really) Stunning Desktop Wallpapers – Smashing Magazine rounds up some sites that offer delicious wallpapers
• Strange Maps – A blog about strange maps. Odd and wonderful.
• ICHIM 05 PARIS – Phase – Phase is a sound generation system, bringing sound immersion, haptic response movement and visual immersion into play.

Yapruder @ Instructables shows us how to quickly and easily make a musical instrument capable of melodic percussion and noise experimentation.

The thumb piano, known as a kalimba or mbira and by many other names, is a lamellaphone that uses plucked prongs called tongues, keys or tines to generate acoustic vibrations. The length of the tine determines the pitch.

Generally, the thumb piano uses some kind of mechanism to create a great deal of pressure to anchor the tines across 2 bridges which allows the free lengths of the tines room to vibrate. The tines are usually of the same material and gauge (thickness) to ensure consistency so the pressure is distributed equally holding everything in place and in tune.

Visit Instructables for detailed instructions.

Link via Make:Blog

If you’re handy and you have more time than money you might be interested in making your own Thumb Piano.

Thumb Piano by BobsDogHouseon @ Instructables.com

Looks pretty good! Check Instructables for the full instructions.